To Build a Program: Baseball Coaches Stress Traditional Approach

The final drill of the Swampscott High baseball practice is situational.

Runners on first and third. Pitcher goes into his stretch. Pitches to the batter. Runner on first breaks for second. Gets caught in a rundown — a pickle.

Now the players put into practice qualities the new coaching staff wants them to display in their entire game.

To distill what first-year coach Jason Calichman and assistants Kevin Rogers and Brendan Nolan have been telling the kids — play the game the right way.

Communicate. Hustle. Back each other up. Compete.

Back on the diamond the catcher hollers "four." He wants the middle infielder to throw home to nail the runner at the plate.

On another sequence, the second baseman chases the runner back to first diving for a tag out. A player backed up the first baseman in case of an errant throw.

On other sequences there are errant throws. Sometimes the players lose their focus, momentarily forgetting about the runner at third and he scampers home.

But through the repetition they are learning.

"A lot of hop, a lot of hop," coach Calichman says to the kids, moving them from one task to another.

He repeats himself, reinforcing his message. Baseball is a game of rituals and repetition.

After practice, in an interview, the coach says he wants players to embrace traditional baseball values.

That means hustle in and out as a team.

That means represent the town by keeping their composure and staying focused. Set an example for younger kids.

That means giving it their best shot.

"We are going to compete hard whether we are up by 20 or down by 20," he said.

The team was blown out in its first two games.

Wednesday, in their third game, they lost 5-2 to Danvers, and got a well pitched game, lots of strikes thrown.

The coach isn't conceding anything. He wants to win the conference.

Calichman, Rogers and Nolan were all Swampscott High baseball players and played in college. They are baseball guys. Have absorbed the culture and like it.

Even on a cool day at practice in early April.

Now they are passing it on to the current players, building a tradition.